Date of Last Revision

2023-05-02 14:04:55

Date of Expected Graduation

Spring 2015

Abstract

Elevated pressure and shearing stresses at the foot-shoe interface are believed to play a role in diabetic foot ulceration. The main goal of this project was to design a simple insole that could distinguish between sites of high pressure and sites of excessive shearing stresses at the foot-shoe interface. Wear patterns that relate specifically to shear and pressure acting on the plantar surface of a patient’s foot also needed to be exhibited. The team used reflective tape that was applied to the surface to various types of insoles to look for visible wear patterns. These wear patterns were identified by the use of a MATLAB code. Pressure sensitive Fujifilm Prescale was used to detect sites of excessive shear stresses at the skin-shoe interface, by being inserted into slits in an insole. Based on the color and color-density of the Fujifilm sites, high and low shear stresses can be identified. Areas of excessive wear from the reflective tape and the Fujifilm results can be correlated to the control sample step we obtained from Dr. Davis’s shear detection machine.

Research Sponsor

Brian L. Davis

First Reader

Narender P. Reddy

Second Reader

Mary C. Verstraete

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